PSYC 2054 VT Final Exam Study
Guide with correct answers
Personality - correct answer ✔✔ "describes someone's usual pattern of behavior, feelings, and
thoughts"
Example of personality - correct answer ✔✔ kind, lazy, jealous, friendly
Situational Perspective - correct answer ✔✔ peoples behavior is determined (almost) entirely
by the situation. argues that personality doesn't really matter when it comes to predicting
behavior.
Person Perspective - correct answer ✔✔ there are stable individual differences that drive
behavior. maybe personality matters, we just need better ways of measuring it.
How was the Person-Situation Debate resolved? - correct answer ✔✔ It was resolved by
concluding that both the person and the situation have about equal influence. partly depends
on power of the situation, personality factors and cultural background.
Person x Situation interaction - correct answer ✔✔ the interaction between both the person
and the situation.
example of Person x Situation interaction - correct answer ✔✔ some college students think
college life s fun and exciting while others find it dull and nerdy.
what are the different methods of assessing personality? - correct answer ✔✔ Self-report;
Informant-report scales; behavioral measures; life outcome data; psychological measures
,self-report - correct answer ✔✔ operationalizes a variable by recording people's answers to
questions about themselves in a questionnaire or interview.
self-report: advantage - correct answer ✔✔ very easy to complete and analyze
self-report: disadvantage - correct answer ✔✔ has blind spots and not everyone can complete it
Informant-report scales - correct answer ✔✔ operationalizes a variable by asking an
"informant" to answer questions about the target participant
informant-report scale: advantage - correct answer ✔✔ other people have unique insight into
personalty
informant-report scale: disadvantage - correct answer ✔✔ may still be susceptible to some
biases and blind spots
behavioral measures - correct answer ✔✔ operationalizing a variable by recording behavior (or
traces of past behaviors)
behavioral measures: advantage - correct answer ✔✔ measuring what people actually do (not
what they say they do)
behavioral measures: disadvantage - correct answer ✔✔ difficult data to collect
life outcome data - correct answer ✔✔ operationalizing a variable by studying archival records
life outcome data: advantage - correct answer ✔✔ objective measures (free from personal or
experimental bias)
, life outcome data: disadvantage - correct answer ✔✔ may be incomplete; still suffer from social
or environmental pressures/bias
psychological measures - correct answer ✔✔ operationalizing a variable by assessing physical
reactions
psychological measures: advantage - correct answer ✔✔ objective measures (free from
personal or experimental bias)
psychological measures: disadvantage - correct answer ✔✔ may be incomplete; many of these
measures (especially fMRI) still new and not fully understood
what are the advantages of self-report measures? - correct answer ✔✔ if we want to know
what you think, or what you feel, or what you do - we can just ask you; Very easy to complete
and analyze
what are the disadvantages of self-report measures? - correct answer ✔✔ Bias, Blind spots, not
everyone can complete
what is an example of self-report measure? - correct answer ✔✔ Q1) do you more often let:
a. your heart rule your head
b. your head rule your heart
Q2) are you usually:
a. A "good mixer" with groups of people
b. rather quiet and reserved
Reverse-coding - correct answer ✔✔ items worded in the opposite direction from the measured
trait
Guide with correct answers
Personality - correct answer ✔✔ "describes someone's usual pattern of behavior, feelings, and
thoughts"
Example of personality - correct answer ✔✔ kind, lazy, jealous, friendly
Situational Perspective - correct answer ✔✔ peoples behavior is determined (almost) entirely
by the situation. argues that personality doesn't really matter when it comes to predicting
behavior.
Person Perspective - correct answer ✔✔ there are stable individual differences that drive
behavior. maybe personality matters, we just need better ways of measuring it.
How was the Person-Situation Debate resolved? - correct answer ✔✔ It was resolved by
concluding that both the person and the situation have about equal influence. partly depends
on power of the situation, personality factors and cultural background.
Person x Situation interaction - correct answer ✔✔ the interaction between both the person
and the situation.
example of Person x Situation interaction - correct answer ✔✔ some college students think
college life s fun and exciting while others find it dull and nerdy.
what are the different methods of assessing personality? - correct answer ✔✔ Self-report;
Informant-report scales; behavioral measures; life outcome data; psychological measures
,self-report - correct answer ✔✔ operationalizes a variable by recording people's answers to
questions about themselves in a questionnaire or interview.
self-report: advantage - correct answer ✔✔ very easy to complete and analyze
self-report: disadvantage - correct answer ✔✔ has blind spots and not everyone can complete it
Informant-report scales - correct answer ✔✔ operationalizes a variable by asking an
"informant" to answer questions about the target participant
informant-report scale: advantage - correct answer ✔✔ other people have unique insight into
personalty
informant-report scale: disadvantage - correct answer ✔✔ may still be susceptible to some
biases and blind spots
behavioral measures - correct answer ✔✔ operationalizing a variable by recording behavior (or
traces of past behaviors)
behavioral measures: advantage - correct answer ✔✔ measuring what people actually do (not
what they say they do)
behavioral measures: disadvantage - correct answer ✔✔ difficult data to collect
life outcome data - correct answer ✔✔ operationalizing a variable by studying archival records
life outcome data: advantage - correct answer ✔✔ objective measures (free from personal or
experimental bias)
, life outcome data: disadvantage - correct answer ✔✔ may be incomplete; still suffer from social
or environmental pressures/bias
psychological measures - correct answer ✔✔ operationalizing a variable by assessing physical
reactions
psychological measures: advantage - correct answer ✔✔ objective measures (free from
personal or experimental bias)
psychological measures: disadvantage - correct answer ✔✔ may be incomplete; many of these
measures (especially fMRI) still new and not fully understood
what are the advantages of self-report measures? - correct answer ✔✔ if we want to know
what you think, or what you feel, or what you do - we can just ask you; Very easy to complete
and analyze
what are the disadvantages of self-report measures? - correct answer ✔✔ Bias, Blind spots, not
everyone can complete
what is an example of self-report measure? - correct answer ✔✔ Q1) do you more often let:
a. your heart rule your head
b. your head rule your heart
Q2) are you usually:
a. A "good mixer" with groups of people
b. rather quiet and reserved
Reverse-coding - correct answer ✔✔ items worded in the opposite direction from the measured
trait
